Portable stages are widely used in institutions requiring multiple use facilities where it is sometimes necessary to set up a stage for use in a display or performance. Examples include convention centers, schools, hotels and the like. The portable stage sections may be used individually, or more commonly, a number of sections may be used adjacent each other and interconnected to form an extended stage area. Depending upon the use of the stage, there may be one or more persons on the stage during a performance, display or demonstration. It may be desirable to provide guard rails along one or more edges of the stage area for the protection of the persons on the stage. Depending upon the intended use for a given stage setup, it may not be necessary to have guard rails on every side of the stage. Also, when a large stage area is made up from a number of individual portable stage units, guard rails are undesirable for those stage sections in the interior of the assembly, while guard rails may, or may not be required for the sides or ends of those stage sections that form the perimeter of the stage area.
In view of these requirements, it is apparent that removable guard rails should be provided, so that the same type of portable stage unit could be used for an edge or an interior portion of an assembled larger stage by adding or removing the guard rails. In order to be economically feasible, the guard rails must be capable of mounting and dismounting from the stage with a minimum amount of time and manpower so that a stage can be quickly set up or taken down in a multiple use room. At the same time, however, the guard rail when mounted on the stage must be very rigid and secure and not subject to accidental dislodgement, since the persons on the stage may intentionally or accidentally lean on them with a great amount of force, and it must be remembered that some portable stage sections may extend to a considerable height above the floor of the room.